Severe thunderstorms caused chaotic conditions in parts of northern Italy on Tuesday.

In Piedmont and Lombardy in particular, heavy rain brought totals of more than 130 mm in some areas.

In Emilia-Romagna, including the area around Bologna, several supercells developed – these are long-lived thunderstorms with rotating updrafts. As well as heavy rain, these brought hail and severe gusts of wind.

Local damage was caused by so-called downbursts. Trees were uprooted and objects were swept up by the sudden gusts of wind.